This disclosure relates to an electrical switch and particularly to an electrical snap switch.
Existing snap switch designs generally include a conductive unit that is fixed with respect to the housing and that includes fixed contacts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,205,496 discloses a switch, which includes a spring that is a helicoidally wounded traction spring and in which the pushbutton driving portion acts on the middle section of the spring.
An attempt to improve the working of such a snap switch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,611. According to such an arrangement, when an external force is applied to the pushbutton, a jointed end of the driving portion of the pushbutton and the elastic spring is forced to move downwards until it passes a critical line, at which point the swaying element is coupled with another conductive fixed contact to supply power or electrical signals. However, the changeover speed remains insufficient and no solution is provided for a “double” or “twin” design for selectively establishing simultaneously two first conductive ways. This design is also generating significant impact or noises between the fixed and movable contacts, such noises are often not acceptable, for instance, when the switch is located in the interior of a vehicle.
Other improvements, such as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0068600 and European Patent Application No. EP2151839, disclose swaying conductive element that has sliding movable contacts moving in a vertical plane.
The drawbacks in all the above mentioned designs are that the number of components is important, and that the design of the swaying conductive element or body is very complex and does not permit any variations in the design, especially concerning the number of switching conductive ways to be established or interrupted.
This document describes methods and devices that are directed to solving at least some of the issues described above.